Sweetheart soup with celery, shallots, bacon and sage

Serves 4Preparation: 15 minsCook: 15 mins

This is a wonderful soup to make with a wide range of year round vegetables, and is perfect for lunch, served piping hot with garlic bread or cheesy croutons. As a dinner party starter you could add some rice to the soup as it boils, and serve it in small cups with breadsticks and pass round a bowl with freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano.

Step by step

Heat some olive oil in a heavy soup pot, and add the finely chopped shallots, carrot, celery, garlic and bacon. Mix the vegetables well, and season with salt and pepper. Sweat the vegetables until soft, adding a little water to steam them slightly. Make sure the vegetables do not crisp and burn by adding a little additional water if necessary, and stirring.

When the vegetables are soft, add the cabbage slices and the sage. Mix well. Add the stock, bring the soup to the boil and then lower the heat. After five minutes the soup will be ready.

Pour the soup into warm serving bowls and then sprinkle fresh Parmiggiano reggiano shavings on top.